Dr. Yair Sagy

Professor of Law
Faculty of Law

Field of Research:
Institutional Public Law; Democratic Backsliding

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Fortifying Israeli Democracy: Institutional Research for Democratic Resilience

Yair Sagy investigates the overlooked state institutions that emerged as crucial democratic safeguards following Israel’s 2023 constitutional crisis.

The Project 


Yair Sagy seeks to establish THE MOSAD FOR THE STUDY OF ISRAELI INSTITUTIONS, following the January 2023 ‘legal reform’ that exposed both the fragility of Israeli democracy and the role foundational institutions may play in safeguarding it.

  • Broadening inquiry beyond current public debate focused on judiciary, legislature, executive, and gatekeepers like the Attorney General.
  • Examining the democratic significance of institutions like the Israeli Shin Bet that has only recently come into view.
  • Exploring additional established institutions, including the State Comptroller, Accountant General, and others long neglected by legal scholarship.

Fundraising Goals

Under Dr. Sagy’s leadership, THE MOSAD FOR THE STUDY OF ISRAELI INSTITUTIONS aims to reveal how overlooked institutions contribute to democratic resilience. Philanthropic support will enable multi-perspective examination of state institutions essential to understanding and safeguarding Israeli democracy. 

Meet Yair Sagy

I am a faculty member at the University of Haifa Faculty of Law, where my research focuses on public law, legal history, and the regulation of state and non-state institutions. My work examines the Israeli judiciary, administrative law, and prison labor through historical, comparative, and organizational perspectives, and has been published widely.

I have held visiting positions at Oxford University and at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, University of London, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard Law School. In addition to teaching and research, I serve as co-chair of the Israeli Law Professors’ Forum for Democracy and sit on several editorial and advisory boards.

My scholarship has been recognized with multiple honors, including the Cegla Award for Distinguished Scholarship and (twice) the Israeli Association for Legal History Prize for Best Article (2017–2018 and 2024-2025). I hold a JSD from NYU School of Law and an MA in History and Philosophy of Science from Tel Aviv University.

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